# Moving to a CRM: getting the data across and the team on board > A step-by-step approach to moving from spreadsheets, inboxes or an old CRM - data import, setup, training and the first ninety days. **URL:** https://cubecrm.co.uk/guides/crm-implementation-guide **Published:** 2026-09-24 | **Updated:** 2026-09-24 | **Reading time:** 11 min Most CRM projects that disappoint do not fail on the day they go live. They fade over the following months, as people drift back to the spreadsheet and the inbox because the new system felt like extra work. This guide sets out how to avoid that: how to get the data across cleanly, how to set the system up around the way your team already works, and what to do in the first ninety days. ## Start with how you work now Before configuring anything, map how customers reach you, how enquiries are handled, how quotes are produced and followed up, and where customer information lives. Talk to the people doing the work as well as the managers. The aim is to find the handful of steps that matter most and make those easier in the CRM. Everything else can wait. ## Getting the data across 1. List every source: spreadsheets, Outlook or Gmail contacts, the accounts package, an old CRM, quote folders. 2. Decide what is worth bringing. Active customers, open deals and recent history, yes; a trade show list from 2017, probably not. 3. Agree what each field means before mapping it. "Status" in one spreadsheet may mean something different in another. 4. Merge duplicates during import, not afterwards. 5. Check a sample of records against the old sources before anybody switches over. > Data import is where most of the effort goes. Allow for it, and do not let anybody tell you it is a button. ## Set it up around your team - Pipeline stages that match how your deals actually progress - usually four to seven, not fifteen. - Only the fields people will actually fill in. You can add more later. - Email and calendar sync from day one, so history builds without effort. - Quote templates that look like the ones you send now. - Permissions that reflect how you share information today. ## Training that sticks Train by role, in short sessions, using your own customers. A salesperson needs to know how to find a customer, move a deal and send a quote; they do not need a tour of every settings screen. Pick one or two people in each team who pick it up quickly and make them the first port of call. Leave short guides and screen recordings for new starters. ## The first ninety days 1. Switch over on an agreed date and retire the old spreadsheet - keep it read-only for reference, but stop updating it. 2. Run the weekly sales meeting from the CRM from the first week. 3. Review adoption after two weeks: who is logging activity, which deals have no next step, what is being worked around. 4. Fix the friction. If people avoid a step, it is usually because it is too slow or unclear. 5. After ninety days, review the numbers you agreed at the start - response times, follow-ups, pipeline accuracy. ## Key takeaways - Map how you work now before configuring anything. - Data import is most of the effort; merge duplicates on the way in. - Keep the setup simple and matched to your team. - Run the sales meeting from the CRM from week one. ## Frequently asked questions **How long does it take to move to a CRM?** For a small or mid-sized team with reasonably tidy data, a matter of weeks from discovery to switching over. Multiple data sources, integrations and larger teams take longer. **Should we run the old and new systems in parallel?** Briefly, if at all. Parallel running tends to become permanent. Check the imported data carefully, then switch on a fixed date and keep the old sources read-only for reference. **What if some people refuse to use it?** Find out why. Usually a step is slower than the old way, or they cannot see the benefit to them. Fix the step, and make the CRM the only source for things they need - quotes, customer history, the pipeline in the sales meeting. **Can we bring across email history?** With Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace sync, recent history can usually be brought in during setup, so customer timelines are populated from day one. ## Relevant solution pages - **CRM Software** - Contacts, enquiries, pipeline, quotes, follow-ups and service in one shared customer record - built in the UK for growing businesses. https://cubecrm.co.uk/software/crm-software - **Contact Management Software** - Every customer, supplier and prospect contact in one shared, searchable place - with companies, roles, history and consent attached. https://cubecrm.co.uk/software/contact-management-software - **Customer Database Software** - Replace the customer spreadsheet with a proper database - clean, shared, searchable and segmentable, with the full history of every customer attached. https://cubecrm.co.uk/software/customer-database-software - **Small Business CRM** - A CRM a small team can set up in weeks and actually keep up to date - contacts, enquiries, quotes and follow-ups without the enterprise baggage. https://cubecrm.co.uk/software/small-business-crm ## Related guides - **How to choose a CRM for a growing UK business** - A practical way to shortlist and choose a CRM - what to decide before you look, the questions that separate suppliers, and the traps to avoid. https://cubecrm.co.uk/guides/how-to-choose-a-crm - **Signs your customer list has outgrown a spreadsheet and a shared inbox** - How to tell the difference between a sales team that is busy and one whose tools have stopped keeping up - and what to do about it. https://cubecrm.co.uk/guides/signs-you-have-outgrown-spreadsheets - **What CRM software actually costs in the UK** - The parts of a CRM budget - licences, tiers, setup, data import, integrations and time - and how to compare suppliers fairly. https://cubecrm.co.uk/guides/what-crm-costs-uk ## Contact - **Product:** CubeCRM - **Trading name of:** Cube Systems Limited (company number 17220899, ICO registration number ZC216972) - **Email:** hello@cubecrm.co.uk - **Sales:** sales@cubecrm.co.uk - **Support:** support@cubecrm.co.uk - **Telephone:** 01234 672 617 (+441234672617) - **Address:** Unit 11, Olney Business Park, Osier Way, Olney, Buckinghamshire, MK46 5FP - **Opening hours:** Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm - **Part of:** Crushed Ice Group (https://crushedicegroup.co.uk)